New report critical of Indiana’s indigent defense
The report found Indiana is failing to equally provide constitutionally mandated effective counsel to indigent people accused of felony, misdemeanor and juvenile offenses.
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COA considers jury trial in State Fair stage collapse suit against ESG Security
Five years after severe weather brought the stage of the Indiana State Fair grandstand to the ground, killing seven people and injuring dozens of others, the final defendant in the ensuing litigation is asking that summary judgment in its favor be upheld.
Members of Indiana legal community weigh in on ‘metaphysical quandary’
Before the Supreme Court of the United States heard arguments Monday morning on an issue that has been described as a “metaphysical quandary,” the Indiana legal community offered some guidance.
COA: Mentally disabled man belongs in work release, not prison
A Greene County man whose home detention was revoked in favor of imprisonment will now be sent to a work-release facility after the Indiana Court of Appeals found that the man’s financial situation and documented mental illnesses were mitigating factors in his sentencing.
ACLU challenges Bedford sign ordinance limiting political expression
A Bedford man who was told he faced fines of $300 a day because of political signs he posted on his property has filed a federal lawsuit against the city with the backing of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana.
Justices sympathetic to girl suing school over service dog
The Supreme Court of the United States appears sympathetic to a 12-year-old Michigan girl with cerebral palsy who wants to sue school officials for refusing to let her bring a service dog to class.
Volunteer judges needed for Teen Court
For any lawyers interested in taking a turn on the bench, a nonprofit that provides services for troubled teens needs attorneys to serve as volunteer judges for its Teen Court programs in the Indianapolis area. The judges oversee the proceedings and counsel the first-time offenders.
COA: Police lawfully entered home; battery conviction upheld
A Richmond man’s request to have his conviction for battery against two police officers overturned was denied Monday by a panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals, which found that the officers had lawfully entered the man’s home because they suspected him of being armed and dangerous.
Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to FBI fitness test
The U.S. Supreme Court won’t hear a dispute over whether a physical fitness test for FBI special agents is biased against men.
Justices dismiss Texas case over deaf driver education
The U.S. Supreme Court has dismissed a case it took up earlier this year involving deaf people in Texas who had trouble getting drivers licenses.
Justices reject appeal from Alabama death row inmate
The Supreme Court of the United States has rejected an appeal from a death row inmate in Alabama who said evidence withheld by prosecutors entitled him to a new court hearing.
US justices will consider deportation law for sex offenders
The Supreme Court of the United States will decide whether the government can deport people who are not U.S. citizens if they are convicted in certain states of sexually abusing a minor.
SCOTUS to rule in Virginia transgender case
The U.S. Supreme Court will take up transgender rights for the first time in the case of a Virginia school board that wants to prevent a transgender teenager from using the boys' bathroom at his high school.
COA awards custody to father, orders assets redivided
After a couple’s contentious battle in court over custody of their children and possession of their home, the Indiana Court of Appeals decided Friday their marital estate had not been correctly divided. However, the appellate court affirmed the decision to award custody of the children to their father.
State approves 6th e-filing provider
As electronic filing begins in Marion County Friday, Indiana state courts this week approved a sixth e-filing service provider, which is also the third to offer services free of charge.
Judge pro tem appointed in Morgan County
A senior judge will preside as a judge pro tem in Morgan County effective Monday, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered this week.
Jury awards more than $70M to woman in baby powder lawsuit
A St. Louis jury on Thursday awarded a California woman more than $70 million in her lawsuit alleging that years of using Johnson & Johnson's baby powder caused her cancer, the latest case raising concerns about the health ramifications of extended talcum powder use.
Oregon case jury delivers blow to government in lands fight
A jury delivered an extraordinary blow to the government in a long-running battle over the use of public lands when it acquitted all seven defendants involved in the armed occupation of a national wildlife refuge in rural southeastern Oregon.
Sex abuse lawsuit against USA Gymnastics doc names Karolyis
The latest lawsuit accusing a former USA Gymnastics doctor of sexually abusing a longtime member of the U.S. women's national team is the first to name renowned husband-and-wife coaches Bela and Martha Karolyi, alleging they turned a blind eye to molestations.
Voter group wants documents unsealed in Indiana search
A voter mobilization facing an investigation into possible voter registration fraud asked a court Thursday to unseal documents from an Indiana State Police search of its offices, saying it "has been publicly demonized by the highest state officials in Indiana."